Caiphus: Voices of the Moons
by ColourtheSaound
Summary: A single Gue'Vesa tells his story of the Grimmest and Darkest war the Tau Empire ever fought. These first-person journals will be the prologue to Caiphus's battles alongside Shas'Vre Elohi.
1. Chapter 1

I do not sleep anymore. I no longer have the luxury. I have looked on the face of every man in our team, and each tells the same story.

There are four night cycles on this planet. Two for every rotaa. They taunt us as the pass, each one of the five moons glaring down at us, almost as if we don't belong. "This is not your world," I hear them scream in my head. "This is not your right." At first I didn't believe them. When the Terrans came, we heard their cries, "Heretic! Suffer the wrath of the Emporer!" But they too heard the voices of the moons. It wore down on them day after day just as it did to us. We both refused to see.

I do not remember how long ago they rose, like chrome plated corpses from the soil. It was still light when they came. Shas'Vre Elohi ordered them to halt. When they did not, we fired, but to no avail.

Once, they came in droves. Crowds moving slowly along the parched lands, dragging their metal carcasses and ominous weaponry behind them. Many of the neighboring squads were overwhelmed in their holes, but with Elohi we remained strong until reinforcements arrived. At least that's what he told us. For all I know, we are the last, Gue'Vesa and Commander alone on enemy terrain.

Now, we only see them in the dead of night. It is why we do not sleep. Sometimes we see the approaching glow in the distance, reflecting off their skulls. Sometimes we only hear the shifting blades from the darkness. They could be anywhere and everywhere, waiting to rend our flesh from our bones or turn us into molecules with a single blast.

The only sure thing are the screams.


	2. Chapter 2

Terrans came to our hole today. A group of them in striking blue and gold descended from the surface. Had Elohi not told us to hold our fire, we would all be dead now. With them, they brought weapons and ammunition, as well as word from high command. We were to cease fire.

It was a pointless show. We and the Terrans haven't exchanged fire in over a hundred Rotaa, the Chrome Menace ensured that. Now they set their turrets on the overhead rocks and pack their grenades near ours. The claims of Heresy have gone. Though we do not speak, we are united in certain death.

"Malbrede." I asked Elohi what it meant. He said it is what the Terrans call this planet. The word itself sent shivers up my spine and caused the voices from on high to grow louder still. Each letter in that word is vile.

Elohi reassures me, he tells me we will leave this place alive. He himself knows he is wrong. Gue'Vesa are always the first to die, it is why we line these holes at the front. High Command sits in the mountain far to the south, watching as we die. For a moment, I hoped that they would die too.

At first dark, the pulses and bolts began to fly. Green beams shot high over our heads. Elohi thrust himself into the air and sent bright blue blasts into the distance. My fellow Gue'Vesa heard a whistle and threw their EMP's. One of them screamed and was silenced. As I hid behind a boulder, a Terran pulled me to his side, shouting in a language I hadn't heard since I was a child. As I attempted to kick free, he fired three bursts into the dark directly ahead. I heard the crash and saw the sparks as his weapon flew from his hand.

It stood over us now, clicking its metal bones together and emitting a deep and ancient groan. Rattling claws ripped through me ears and into my mind. Behind rotten blue and brown flesh lay lifeless, burning eyes. They only stared at me. As it prepared to attack, the Terran pulled his blade.

A surge of energy fell from above, crushing the beast into molten slag. Elohi landed atop it and fired one more shot into its still-molten skull. The Terran began to bellow with laughter. He pushed me aside and pulled his weapon off the ground. With a roar he began to fire back into the dark. Elohi once more returned to the air.

For a moment I stood in stupor. My Carbine felt cool against my skin. I put it to my shoulder and aimed down the scope. More lifeless eyes met mine.

Knees shaking, I fell in line and pulled the trigger.


End file.
